During the 2009 campaign of harness racing which came to close on December 31, Billy (Zeke) Parker, Jr. once again returned to “King of the Hill” at Monticello Raceway
, and though he held that position on 13 previous occasions he hasn’t been the tracks leading dash-winning driver since 2004.
Despite the fact that on September 24, 2009 Zeke turned 57 years of age he demonstrated that he still has what it takes in a year that has been extremely tough on the cagey veteran.
Parker endured the excruciating pain of watching hopelessly as his young wife, TJ, succumbed to cancer and though he was driving well he wasn’t at full capacity. But he rallied and became the Parker of old, the one who has won driving championships at every race track where he competed.
In late September he pulled away from the pack and finished with 399 wins, 131 more than runner-up former Mighty M driving champ, Bruce Aldrich, Jr. carded. At season’s end Parker’s finished with a grand total of 9,909 career driving victories, which ranks him ninth all time in the sport. And in late October he was honored at the local USHWA Banquet with the Monticello-Goshen Chapter’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Kyle DiBenedetto, himself another Mighty M driving champ, finished third with 242 wins. He was followed by another Monticello champion, Greg Merton who recorded 218 wins. Last year’s “King of the Hill”, 22 year old Jordan Stratton, with fifth best with 185 wins.
In what turned out to be an unexpected battle for training honors, April Aldrich eked-out Gary Messenger by just one victory, 94-93. It was the fourth training title and third consecutive for the wife of Bruce Aldrich, Jr.
Bob Lounsbury was third best with 71 winners followed by Bob Beauregard and Peter Stratton, each with 59 wins.
Parker’s seasonal effort was good enough to claim the driving percentage title when, alos, when finished with a .363 UDR on the strength of 399 wins, 343, seconds, and 265 thirds in 1867 starts. On the training side the percentage leader turned out to be David Stratton---Jordan’s dad-- whose 50 wins, 17 seconds and 20 thirds in 151 starts produced a .438 UTR.
Parker also topped the purse earnings list with $1,324,950. He was the only reinsmen whose horses earned more than $1 million. Bruce Aldrich, Jr. was second best with $894,476.
(Monticello)